Breaking Down 10 Uniform Myths

From SABR member Paul Lukas at ESPN.com on August 18:

The [Packers'] "'G' is for greatness" story is the latest example of that most tantalizing of uni-related phenomena: the uniform myth. It's no surprise that such tall tales end up spreading through the uni-verse -- sports are all about mythmaking, after all, and lots of other fields are rife with urban legends, so why not the world of uniforms and logos? There are also myth-like stories floating around that are actually true but nonetheless have an air of mystery or inconclusiveness around them.

So today will be Mythbuster Day here at Uni Watch HQ. We'll examine a bunch of commonly held uni-related storylines -- things that Uni Watch has heard repeated many times over the years -- and see if they're true. ...

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1. The MLB "silhouetted batter" logo is based on Harmon Killebrew

This one, which has been floating around for decades, got a boost earlier this year when Killebrew passed away. It was even mentioned last month during the home run derby and the MLB All-Star Game. It's a nice story, and Killebrew believed it, but it isn't true. Yes, the logo looks like Killebrew; it also looks like lots of other players. More importantly, the man who designed the logo, Jerry Dior, has always said it wasn't based on any one player. In fact, his assignment was to create an "indistinct" figure, so he used several photos to make a composite (for further details on this, look here).